MFUNDO MICHAEL MAZWI: Broken local government isn’t beyond repair

As South Africans approach the 2026 local government elections a familiar pattern emerges: that of broken promises, empty manifestos and towns spiralling deeper into dysfunction. Local government, which is supposed to be the most responsive and accessible sphere of the state, is in dire crisis and the people are paying the price.

Far from being engines of service delivery and economic development, too many of our municipalities are becoming cautionary tales of waste, mismanagement and impunity. Communities go without water, roads crumble, waste piles up and lights flicker — if they come on at all. These are not mere service interruptions; they are visible evidence of a system that is failing.

At the heart of this breakdown lies poor governance. Local councils are often arenas for political contestation rather than public service. Coalition governments, especially in metros such as Johannesburg, Tshwane and Nelson Mandela Bay, have bred instability, not accountability. Municipal managers and senior officials are routinely appointed based on political loyalty instead of competence, with catastrophic results.

This politicisation undermines the basic principles of planning and implementation. Integrated development plans (IDPs) become box-ticking exercises. Ward committees are hollowed; local consultation is sidelined. The result? A complete breakdown in responsiveness, co-ordination and delivery. Worse still, many councillors lack the skills to perform oversight or engage meaningfully with policy and budgeting processes. As a result, important decisions are either delegated to officials or influenced by external interests, leaving the democratic core of local government hollowed out.

Year after year the auditor-general warns of huge irregular and wasteful expenditure in municipalities, yet little ever changes. In the 2022/23 financial year irregular expenditure amounted to more than R14bn. Despite this, consequences are rare. Forensic investigations, when conducted, are buried; whistle-blowers are harassed or silenced.

The municipal public accounts committees, which are intended to offer oversight, are often toothless or dysfunctional. Provincial and national interventions under section 139 of the constitution are reactive and frequently politicised. Instead of correction, there is covering up. Instead of consequences, there is continuity of failure.

This culture of impunity has become entrenched. It emboldens corrupt networks and erodes professionalism. Municipal officials know failure carries no real cost. So, the same mistakes are repeated year after year, with devastating consequences for communities. The collapse of governance and accountability inevitably results in the collapse of service delivery. The human cost is staggering.

Water treatment plants fail in Free State municipalities, exposing residents to waterborne diseases. In the Eastern Cape, electricity outages stretch for days, with no explanation. In Limpopo and parts of KwaZulu-Natal sewage flows openly in the streets. Waste collection is erratic or abandoned. Street lights don’t work. Roads are potholed. Local clinics and libraries are stripped of resources.

Economic development stalls. For the poor and working class, that means a daily battle to access the most basic of services. For businesses it means an environment of instability and additional cost. For young people it means deferred dreams and lost opportunities. This is not just a governance crisis, it is a social emergency.

The 2026 local government elections must be more than a ceremonial return to the polls. They must serve as a reckoning. Political parties must be held accountable for their failures and for their silence in the face of corruption and decay. Communities must demand that candidates be competent, ethical and dedicated to service.

But elections alone won’t fix what is broken. We need structural reforms that include:

• Professionalising municipal administration by insulating it from political interference;
• Empowering oversight bodies such as municipal public accounts committees and ensuring their recommendations are implemented;
• Strengthening community participation through real, not symbolic, involvement in budgeting and planning; and
• Ensuring consequences for corruption and mismanagement are not just through audits, but through prosecution and civil recovery.

Local government in SA is in crisis, but it is not beyond repair. What is needed is political will, civic pressure and public engagement. If we are to reclaim local democracy we must start by insisting that municipalities work, not just for those in office but for the people they serve.

The stakes are high. Every failed municipality represents a broken promise, a missed opportunity, and a deepening inequality. As 2026 approaches we must ask not just who is on the ballot, but who is truly committed to rebuilding local government from the ground up.

• Mazwi is a community liaison officer in the City of Cape Town. He writes in his personal capacity.